(Remember to send your thank you card to someone this week in gratitude.Â
Fulfill your commitment to get er done before the end of the year. This is our month to show and express gratitude to God and to others.
“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” Brother Lawrence
Prayer Points:
- Praise God for His Holy Spirit
- Thank God the Holy Spirit is available for Preparation for our journey ahead
- Confess daily our need of the Holy Spirit
- Fight for the time needed to spend time with God in His Word and in prayer
- Normandie becoming a House of Prayer
- President of the United States of America and Worldwide Leaders
- Victims of tragedy in Paris, their families, city and government, Human Trafficking, Global diseases, and those persecuted for their faith
- Pastor Dorsey and family
- Sick & Shut Ins
- Requests in the Prayer Box
- Unspoken
- Unemployed & Underemployed
- Nomination Process
- Troubled marriages, caregivers and those being cared for, newly baptized, those considering baptism, students, homeless, seniors, young adults, our children, youth and ministries of Normandie and our sister churches
- Other
Sabbath, November 14, 2015. Pastor Dorsey. Sermon Title: Preparation for the Journey Ahead. Supporting scripture Matthew 25: 1-13 NLT
” It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.” Christian Service 41.1
Read the scriptures in Matthew 25: 1-13 about the 10 Bridesmaids. We have to watch because we don’t know when Jesus is coming. We know the world is going to get worse but still we have to provide the world with hope.
Bridesmaids
All had an invitation
For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT
All had Lamps
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 NLT
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT
All fell Asleep
” I lay down my pen and lift up my soul in prayer, that the Lord would breathe upon His backslidden people, who are as dry bones, that they may live. The end is near, stealing upon us so stealthily, so imperceptibly, so noiselessly, like the muffled tread of the thief in the night, to surprise the sleepers off guard and unready. May the Lord grant to bring His Holy Spirit upon hearts that are now at ease, that they may no longer sleep as do others, but watch and be sober.” Christian Service 41.2
There is a lot of sleeping going on in the church.
Sleeping
1) Apathy
We are sleep with apathy, apathy towards our church
2) Superficial
Those who attend church but don’t apply any of it to their lives.
3) World
Too many worldly Christians in the church. We dress and talk like the world.
What Made Them Different?
There was no distinctive pattern they all went to sleep. In crisis character is revealed. The cry came out the Bride Groom is coming then the crisis came about. Everyone wants to go to the party but every one wasn’t prepared to go to the party.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is described as oil. They didn’t have the power of the Holy Spirit only five were prepared for the journey.
Holy Spirit
Assures us of our Invitation
Eternal life is ours and we need to be there.
I will talk to the Father, and He’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take Him in because He has been staying with you, and will even be in you. John 14:16, 17 The Message Bible
Empowers us with the Word of God
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 NLT
And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. John 16:8-11 NLT
Awakes us out of Sleep
Apathy
We have the capacity to love difficult people. He will respect our choice that’s why He doesn’t force us. Nobody talks about themselves like 7th Day Adventists. Get rid of the apathy.
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11 NLT
Shallowness
There is a superficial nature that plagues our church. When you are living like the Sabbath doesn’t matter you don’t believe it.
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of His command, and He brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then He used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:3-9 NLT
Love of the World
So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. Matthew 24:42-44 NLT
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
The difference between the wise and the foolish is the Holy Spirit. We need to show God in our lives versus what we say quoting the Scriptures in tragedy. You can share your knowledge of God so they can find their salvation. We are trying to live without the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You so much that You give us Your Holy Spirit in preparation for the journey. You allow us to make our choices even if it means not choosing You. Wow! That is truly amazing after all that You’ve done to make sure we have eternal life. Please give us the desire to choose You and thank You for the Holy Spirit Who honors that choice once we have made You our choice. Help us to get rid of the apathy, shallowness and love of the world. You have already assured us of our invitation, You empower us with the Word of God and You awaken us out of our sleep. What more could we ask for? Thank You for Your promises upon which we can stand. Forgive us for being asleep and not preparing to make this journey. We do not want to be the ones who are registered on the church books but not prepared to close our earthly history without God and without hope. Let us be determined to stay alert and prepared for Your second coming. We pray, praise and thank You. In the name of Jesus. Amen